How to Make Leather Carnival Face Masks
Face masks have been popular for centuries, in particular during the pre-Lenten period of Carnival in the Christian West. In cities such as Venice, masked balls allowed revelers to indulge in clandestine activities while keeping their identities concealed. These masks traditionally were made of papier-mache, but today, leather has proven to be a popular medium for mask-making.
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Things You'll Need
- Safety glasses
- Pencil
- 8 ½ -by-11 inch paper, two sheets
- Scissors
- 1 square foot of vegetable-tanned leather
- Detail knife
- Water
- Bowl
- Styrofoam wig stand with a full face
- Hair dryer
- Leather dyes
- Awl or similar leather punch tool
Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Sketch out your mask ideas on a sheet of paper. This will help you determine the style of mask you will make.
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2
Fold a sheet of paper in half and draw half of your mask on the half-sheet of paper. The center of the mask should align on the fold of the paper. Hold the paper up to your face periodically to ensure that the mask is the correct size and shape for your face.
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3
Cut the mask out of the paper along the lines. Unfold the mask so that it will completely cover your face. Hold the paper mask up to your face to ensure the fit is correct. Refine the shape of the mask by making any necessary changes such as enlarging the eye holes.
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4
Transfer the mask shape to vegetable-tanned leather by lightly drawing around the edges of the paper model with a pencil.
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5
Score the lines lightly with your detail knife. Score a second time in the grooves made by your first cut. Repeat this process until you have completely cut the mask from the leather. Always cut away from the mask so that if the blade slips, it does not cut into the mask area.
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6
Fill a bowl with water and completely soak the leather until the mask is saturated.
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7
Place the mask onto the face of the wig dummy. Press the mask into the dummy to mold the mask into a general face shape. Make sure to press it into the areas of natural face contours such as the depressions at the temples, brow ridges and the shape of the nose.
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8
Pull the mask off of the dummy and heat it with a blow dryer. Then put it back onto the dummy and heat it with a blow dryer again. Shape the mask by repeating this process until it holds this shape.
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9
Give the mask folds and ridges by wetting the areas to be shaped and pinching the leather between your thumb and forefinger. Hold the fold or ridge in place and dry the leather until it naturally holds the folds and wrinkles on its own.
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10
Dry the mask uniformly, making sure that the edges and eye areas do not dry out faster than the rest of the mask. If one area is becoming dry faster than the others, wet that area again to ensure even drying.
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11
Punch holes in the sides of the mask with your awl, after putting your safety glasses on. You will tie the mask to your face by passing string through these holes.
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12
Paint or dye your mask using leather dye or paint.
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1
Tips & Warnings
When drying your mask, avoid overheating it. This will make the leather brittle.
Always wear safety glasses when working with sharp tools such as an awl or a detail knife.
